Computer interfaces and documentation are notoriously difficult for any user, regardless of his or her level of experience. Advances in technology are not making applications more friendly. Introducing concepts from linguistics and language teaching, Language and Communication proposes a new approach to computer interface design. The book explains for the first time why the much hyped user-friendly interface is treated with such derision by the user community. The author argues that software and hardware designers should consider such fundamental language concepts as meaning, context, function, variety, and equivalence. She goes on to show how imagining an interface as a new language can be an invaluable design exercise, calling into question deeply held beliefs and assumptions about what users will or will not understand. Written for a wide range of computer scientists and professionals, and presuming no prior knowledge of language-related terminology, this volume is a key step in the on-going information revolution.

Part I. Introduction and Foundation; 1. Introduction; 2. Foundation Concepts; Part II. Essential Language Concepts and the User Interface; 3. Language Varieties; 4. Language Changes; 5. Language Correspondences; 6. The Effect of Context; 7. The Effect of Medium and Interaction; Part III. Languages for Special Purposes and Functions; 8. Labeling and Abbreviation; 9. Explanation and Assistance; Part IV. Summary and Recommendations; 10. Making It Work; Appendix: Language Resources and Further Readings

Agnes Kukulska-HulmeLecturer in Educational Technology, Open University

"Like many other authors in technical communication and interface design, Agnes Kukulska-Hulme challenges us to know our audience. What she does that is different from other authors is to take this challenge to a higher level. She asks us to think about our audience in terms of the language we use in creating user interfaces and documentation. She wants us to critically review each word that we place on a screen or in a manual and think about how and what that word or group of words communicates to a user. ... In the introduction, Kukulska-Hulme states that this 'book aims to educate and to stimulate reflection, and the reader should soon become persuaded that even small changes, based on a better appreciation of language, can result in an improvement in design' (p. 18). This book is an excellent resource for all communicators and interface designers, and should be a required text for technical communication and interface design curricula."--Technical Communication